<p>While WhatsApp may be the dominant cross-platform mobile messaging service around the world, several similar services like Hike and eBuddy-XMS are looking to find a foothold in the crowded market space. And in India, they might have a good case.</p><p>26-year-old Kavin Bharti Mittal, who heads strategy and new product development at Bharti SoftBank, insists it makes good sense. Hike is a BSB product. Kavin believes there is a huge scope for products like Hike to gain users in emerging markets like India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Africa. "The idea is to think big, start small," he said.</p><p>India has over 300 million SMS users. While SMS prices have hit rock bottom, the channel is not without issues. The low prices have made telemarketers abuse the channel and bring along the annoyance of spam. Also, SMSs lack the richness of instant messaging, both in content and exchange.</p><p>However, Kavin's banking on a key differentiator in mobile messaging. Unlike most instant messaging apps, Hike is not closed to only those who have the app or people with smartphones and data plans. You could IM a friend, regardless of whether the friend is on Hike or not.</p><p><a href="http://www.zdnet.com/in/mobile-messaging-in-india-evolves-beyond-whatsapp-7000011013/">Keep reading...</a></p>